The Beat: Hoya paranoia

The attention started coming early in Nate Lubick's career. Countless Division I coaches would flock to the tiny gym on the St. Mark's campus in Southborough, eager to catch a glimpse of the Lions' two prized recruits. The other St. Mark's stud - Erik Murphy - committed to the University of Florida earlier this year. And two weeks ago, Lubick finally settled on Georgetown.

By Andy Vogt/Daily News staff

Milford Daily News

By Andy Vogt/Daily News staff

Posted Oct. 20, 2008 at 12:01 AM
Updated Oct 20, 2008 at 8:02 PM

By Andy Vogt/Daily News staff

Posted Oct. 20, 2008 at 12:01 AM
Updated Oct 20, 2008 at 8:02 PM

» Social News

The attention started coming early in Nate Lubick's career.

Countless Division I coaches would flock to the tiny gym on the St. Mark's campus in Southborough, eager to catch a glimpse of the Lions' two prized recruits.

The other St. Mark's stud - Erik Murphy - committed to the University of Florida earlier this year. And two weeks ago, Lubick finally settled on his collegiate destination, choosing Georgetown over a host of schools, including UCLA, Michigan, Notre Dame and Virginia.

The reasons for choosing the Hoyas were plentiful.

"First of all, it's a great academic school, (one of the) hardest schools to get into," said Lubick, who is still only a junior at St. Mark's. "Being in Washington, D.C., is relatively close to home. The Big East is a great conference, and coach (John) Thompson (III) is a great coach and a great person.

"They're fighting for the Final Four every year, and the style of play - the Princeton offense - requires players that play like me."

At 6-foot-8 and 225 pounds, Lubick can generally have his way in the paint against his current competition. But he's also got a terrific jump shot and is a skilled passer, which he'll need playing swing forward in college. Lubick mentions Hoyas like Sonics forward Jeff Green and current Georgetown junior DaJuan Summers as players that have thrived under the system there.

It's the latest step in a journey that began many years ago, early in Lubick's childhood. Even when he was three years old, Lubick's father and current St. Mark's coach, Dave, would take him out to the park to shoot around.

When the family moved to Southborough 11 years ago, those workouts moved to the St. Mark's gym - just a short walk from the family' home on campus, where Dave is the director of financial aid.

Nate's skill level rapidly improved. In fifth grade, he began playing AAU basketball. By eighth grade, he was able to throw down a dunk. And the summer before ninth grade, Dave began pushing his son toward the weight room.

"I've always been a dad that pushed hard," said Dave, who played collegiately at the University of Chicago. "There were times that my wife worried I pushed him too hard. But he eventually just kinda got it and turned into a real hard worker."

And with that hard work came the aforementioned attention.

"I have to admit that it was getting kinda distracting and labor intensive with the amount of phone calls," Dave said. "I gotta give him credit, he's been level-headed. He enjoyed the process - and what kid wouldn't? - but I think he's in the position he's in because he's not a distractible kid."

His play with the Lions certainly garnered him some worth, averaging a double-double last year in helping St. Mark's win another NEPSAC title. But traveling around the country with his current AAU team, the New England Playaz, didn't hurt. Just this past season, Nate competed with the Playaz in California, Nevada, Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and several other states.

Page 2 of 2 - As more schools expressed interest in Nate, the decision-making process became tougher.

"You want your kids to make choices - we looked at (certain) places because of style of play, and quality of school," Dave said. "After that, we left it up to Nate."

Having a teammate in Murphy going through the same process made things easier, said Nate.

"A lot of the same schools were recruiting us," he said. "He's one of my best friends, and it was kind of a learning experience seeing the way he went through it. We both garnered all this attention pretty early."

Of all the things Nate had to worry about though, performing on a big stage in front of collegiate coaches wasn't one of them.

"I'm not really like that," he said. "Sometimes you're looking at who's in the gym that day, but it never really got to me."

Nate was down on the Georgetown campus over the weekend for the school's Midnight Madness celebration, which he described as "pretty crazy." And he got a taste of what's in store for him in 2010, playing pick-up games and hanging out with his fellow Hoya recruits.

There isn't one particular aspect of his game that Nate wants to see further developed - it all comes back to becoming bigger, better, faster and stronger. And that's why Nate wouldn't characterize finally making a decision as relief.

"It does feel like there's been a weight taken off," he said. "But there's still a lot of work to be done."

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The New England Tornadoes Sports Academy is beginning a new program in the MetroWest area at its complex in Marlborough. Sports programs for kids ages 3-6, a basketball clinic for kids in grades 4-9, and the first annual "Boro Basketball Tournament" will be held. Visit www.eteamz.com/matornadoesaauorg for more information.

(Andy Vogt is a Daily News staff writer. He can be reached at 508-626-3848 or jvogt@cnc.com)